Pneumatic dispatch-tube receiver



(No Model.)

S. P. LEAKE. PNBUMATIG DISPATCH TUBE RECEIVER.

No. 431,700. Patented July 0,1800.v

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UNITED y STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

SAMUEL F. LEAKE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATIC DISPATCH-TUBE RECEIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,700, dated July 8,1890. I

Application filed October 26, 1889. Serial No. 328,247. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL F. LEAKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements inPneumatic Dispatch-Tube Receivers; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention has relation to apparatus for stopping a carrier in thereceivers of pneumatic dispatch-tube systems by admitting into thereceivers ahead of the carrier a charge or supply of air under pressurein addition to the normal air in the receivers. In another pendingapplication led by me of an even date herewith, Serial No. 328,248, Ihave shown, described, and claimed an apparatus for admitting suchair-pressure into the receiver under the control of the carrier as itpasses into and moves or travels through the same, in which case suchreceiver is always free of such additional air-pressure, except when acarrier is traveling' through it.

My present invention has for its object to charge or supply a closedreceiver with a supply of compressed air for reducing the momentum ofthe carrier, and provide devices actuated by such compressed air andunder the control of the moving carrier for admitting the latter to andits escape from the receiver without concussion.

My invention accordingly consists of the combinations, constructions,and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is asectional elevation of a pneumatic dispatch-tube receiver and devicesattached thereto in their normal position embodying my improvements.Fig. 2 is a like view showing the operative parts in the position towhich they have been moved by a carrier passing into the receiver; andFig. 3 is a cross-section of the movable section of the receiver, fromor into which the carrier is withdrawn or inserted.

A represents the receiver end or tube of a jacent to said movablesection c2 and in the tube A is a recess or pocket a, in which is asliding gate or valve-B for normally closing that part of tube A, asindicated in Fig. 1. This valve B is secured to a plunger or stem b,which passes through a stuffing-box on recess a4 and through acorresponding device on a cylinderC, wherein it is provided with a heador piston c. The cylinder() at its lower end has a pipe-connection cwith the tube A in front of valve B, and in pipe c is a cock c2, havinga stem c3, which impinges against the upper end of a plunger d incylinderD, communicating by way of opening d with tube A,

and having attached thereto a suitably-fulcrumed lever cl2, providedwith an adjustable weight cl3, whereby the pressure of lever d2 onplunger d may be varied, as desired. In advance of gate or valve B thetube A has a pipe-connection F, provided with cock f,

leading to a supply of compressed air or to an e air-compression pump,(not shown in the drawings,) which kvalve is manually or otherwiseoperated, as desired.

Near the front end of tube A is another pocket or recess G, in which isa valve or gate g for normally closing the said end of tube A, asindicated in Fig. 1, and this valve gis connected to a plunger g', whichpasses through stuffing-boxes on said recess G and on a cylinder g2,within which it has a head or piston g3. The cylinder g2 has apipe-connection g4. with tube A to the rear of valve g, and in said pipeg4 is a valve g5, the stem of which is in engagement with the armatureor core of an electro-magnet or solenoid 96. The latter is included inthe battery-circuit l l, the terminals h h of which are located within arecess H on tube A in front of valve g, and one of said terminals orcontacts h is a movable contact and is in the path of a traveling`carrier in tubeA to close said terminals and circuit, as indicated inFig. 1said circuit 1 1 or its terminals being normally open, as shown inFig. 2.

The operation is as follows: The gates or IOO Valves g B being normallydown, the receiver, or that part of tube A between said valves, isnormally closed, and the cock f being open a supply of compressed air isadmitted to tube A between its gates or valves g B. Atraveling carrierarriving at the terminal h closes it against terminal h to close thecircuit l 1, whereupon the magnet or solenoid g6 becomes active andopens valve g5 in pipe g4 to admit the air-pressure in tube A tocylinder g2,which pressure acts on plunger-head or pist-on g3 to raisethe gate or valve g. The continued movement of the carrier in tube Acompresses the air under pressure therein, reducing the momentum of thecarrier, and when such compression of air rises above that of thepressure exerted by lever d2 on plunger cl of cylinder D said plunger israised by such compressed air to open valve c2 in pipe e to admit theair-pressure in tube A between valve B and the advancing carrier tocylinder C to raise gate B, at which time the carrier is almost broughtto a stateof rest, having sufficient momentum, however, to carry it tothe open section a of tube A, from which it is removed as desired. Thevalves or gates g B automatically return to their normal positions afterthe carrier passes by the same, and a fresh supply or charge ofcompressed air is admitted to the tube A between said valves by openingcock f in pipe F.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the receiver A is close orsealed atboth ends by the movable valves or gates g B,that theairpressure is manually or equivalently admitted to the receiver, that'the carriers as they arrive at the gate g actuate devices for liftingthelatter, so as to advance into the receiver against the air-pressuretherein, that the air-pressure admitted to tube A is used under thecontrol of the carrier for raising the valves or gates g B in advance ofthe carrier, and that the latter is brought to a state of rest oritsmomentum is diminished within a short length of receiver by thecompressed air admitted thereto.

As the novel constructions and arrangements of parts herein set forthmaybe greatly varied without departing from the spirit of my invention,I do not coniine myself to the same as shown and described.

l. In a pneumatic dispatch-tube, the combination of a carrier-receivertube closed at both ends, one of said ends being movable, an airsupplyfor maintaining a constant pressure in said receiver independent of theactuatingpressure of the system, and mechanism for actuating saidmovable end ofthe receiver to open it to the carrier, substantially asset forth.

2. In combination with a receiver-tube A, an air-.pressure pipe F forsaid tube, a gate or valve at the inlet end of said tube,a cylinderhaving a piston connected to said gate, pipeconnection between said tubeAand said cylinder, a cock in said pipe, and mechanism controlling theopening and closing of said cock, substantially as set forth.

3. In combination with tube A, having Valves g B, air-compression-supplypipe F, and actuating mechanism for valves g B under the control of amoving carrier in said tube, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with tube A, the valve g, having plunger, a cylinderfor said plunger, pipe-connection between said cylinder and tube, a cockin said pipe-connection, and electrical devices in engagement with saidcock and under the control of a moving carrier in tube A, substantiallyas set forth.

5. In combination with tube A, the valve B,

having cylinder C, pipe-connection with cock c2 between said cylinderand tube A, and cylinder D, communicating with tube A and having aweighted plunger engaging with cock c2 and controlled by the movement ofa carrier in tube A, substantially as set forth.y

6. In combination with tube A, air-pressure pipe F and movable endvalves g B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

f SAMUEL F. LEAKE.

'Witnessesz S. J. VAN STAvoREN, CHAs. F. VAN HORN.

